“This technology provides consumers and innovative companies with a reliable and affordable integrated anti-crash system. It also ensures safe navigation and enables prompt action in civil-security applications and ensures both fast response and maximum performance for drones in defense uses”, according to the announcement.

“360Fusion is a flexible solution that is compatible with all types of sensors and that can leverage data from the best of them,” said Marie-Sophie Masselot, Leti industrial partnership manager. “Fitted on a low-cost microcontroller, this technology can be embedded in drones to detect any dynamic obstacle and guide the drone away from a collision.”

Some beneficial features of 360Fusion, according to the firm, are: “it is the first obstacle-avoidance algorithm in a dynamic environment based on laser sensor technology, it fits into a mass-market microcontroller, and is 10x cheaper than comparable systems.”

Furthermore, the highly integrated perception system weighs less than 40 grams and it integrates into existing drone technologies.

In its continuing work on the prototype, the firm will equip a fleet of drones with this technology to show they detect and avoid nearby drones, fit miniaturized radar sensors on the fleet, enable detours to safe routs when obstacles are detected and enable autonomous flight.